After practicing the fist techniques three times, Yang Hong felt refreshed and ended his cultivation with a slight sweat.
Just as he was about to get back to work in the fields, Yang Zixuan came rushing in again.
“Imperial Brother~ Imperial Brother~”
As usual, Yang Zixuan charged into the new courtyard with a shout, running and yelling around.
Yang Hong was stunned for a moment, then a heartwarming smile bloomed on his face. He walked to a small storage room on the third floor.
He personally prepared a plate of cold cucumber salad, stir-fried a vegetable dish, and served a large bowl of rice. He went to the dining room to wait for the“crazy girl” to find him.
“Hee hee~”
Outside the dining room, a small head peeked in. It glanced at Yang Hong and the food before him, then smiled shyly.
Her large eyes narrowed into beautiful crescent moons.
“Imperial Brother~~ I knew you treated me the best.”
Yang Zixuan, whom he hadn’t seen for half a year, seemed a little bashful. However, her feet landed precisely at the dining table, and her hands picked up the bowls and chopsticks.
“Eat quickly, these are special.”
Yang Hong dotingly ruffled the little girl’s head.
“Mmm mmm~”
Yang Zixuan was not shy at all and began to devour the food.
She didn’t need to be reserved in front of her brother.
“Eh~ Little girl, you’ve grown taller.”
Watching Yang Zixuan eat with joy, a sense of warmth welled up in Yang Hong’s heart.
“Hee hee~ Imperial Brother, I took the Xuan Yin Pill and have advanced to the peak of the first-rate realm! And I’ve grown taller, I’m 1.5 meters now.”
Yang Zixuan stood up, holding her rice bowl, and turned around with a proud expression.
However, the grains of rice at the corner of her mouth added a touch of humor to her action.
“Haha~ Little Zixuan has grown up, truly grown up. Imperial Brother knows. Sit down and eat properly.”
With that, Yang Hong gently patted Yang Zixuan’s shoulder, urging her to sit down and eat.
That cucumber was a top-grade spiritual plant, the vegetables were ordinary ninth-grade, and even the rice was ordinary seventh-grade.
“Hee hee~”
Yang Zixuan’s eyes curved into crescent moons, her happiness evident on her face.
While Yang Zixuan was eating, Xiao Cao hurried over to prepare lunch, allowing Yang Hong to finish lunch more than an hour earlier than usual.
After the meal, the siblings lounged in the green jade grape arbor, relaxing on lounge chairs.
It was the fifth month of the lunar calendar, and the weather had already turned into early summer.
“Imperial Brother, the capital city of Great Xing has become lively. Many people have come to Great Xing City.”
“Mmm~”
“The younger generation from all five dynasties has arrived. Not only the dynasties but also the disciples from the thirty-three great sects and over a thousand small and medium-sized sects have come.”
“Oh~”
“I heard there are many powerful individuals coming this time. Every participant in the Heavenly Pride Competition is a genius.”
“Heh heh~ Does that mean my Zixuan is also a genius?”
“Hee hee~ Of course, I’m a first-rate expert at sixteen years old. The greatest genius of Great Sui in three hundred years!”
Yang Zixuan, who was lying on the lounge chair, sat up, her small face filled with pride.
“That’s right, our Zixuan is a genius.”
“Mmm mmm~ However, there are so many geniuses from other dynasties. Imperial Grandfather gave us a list of participants for the Heavenly Pride Competition.”
“All the participants in the junior group are first-rate experts. The youth group is even more terrifying, with quite a few Innate Grandmasters. It’s said that the adult group even has Great Grandmaster experts participating.”
As she spoke, Yang Zixuan’s little face furrowed, worrying about her own battles.
“Heh heh~ Little girl, there are still nine whole days until the Five Dynasties Heavenly Pride Competition on the tenth day of the fifth month. Stay in my courtyard during this time, and I’ll cook delicious food for you.”
“Really!”
Yang Zixuan’s eyes lit up, even with a hint of moisture at the corners of her mouth.
However, her gaze soon dimmed, and she listlessly lay back on the lounge chair.
“Imperial Brother~ It won’t work. Imperial Grandfather still needs to train us. This Five Dynasties Heavenly Pride Competition seems a bit different; all participants are taking it very seriously.”
“It’s fine, I’ll explain to Imperial Grandfather.”
Yang Hong didn’t seem to care. He tilted his head slightly, looked around, and then shouted into the distance.
“Old Wang, go back and tell Imperial Grandfather that I’m going to replenish Zixuan and have her stay at the Pavilion of Deliberate Ignorance for a few more days.”
“This old servant will go right away.”
Eunuch Old Wang, who was catching insects for the peas in the field, agreed and immediately went to report.
Yang Zixuan looked at Yang Hong, puzzled, and asked timidly.
“Imperial Brother, will Imperial Grandfather really agree?”
“Don’t worry, Zixuan. If Imperial Grandfather dares not to agree, I’ll cut off his wine.”
“No! Imperial Brother, don’t anger Imperial Grandfather.”
Yang Zixuan quickly interjected.
“Don’t worry, little girl, it won’t happen.”
Yang Hong didn’t elaborate further and changed the subject.
“Little girl, tell me more about what kind of experts are participating in this Five Dynasties Heavenly Pride Competition.”
“Mmm~ The prodigies sent by Great Tang this time might be the most powerful and the most numerous. In the junior group, there are Li Lizhi from the imperial family and Jiang Yuanxiang from the Dao Seeking Sect. Both are rumored to be Innate Grandmasters. In the youth group, they sent Imperial Brother Li Yuanba, who has reached the peak of Innate realm, and some say Li Yuanba is a Great Grandmaster. Only in the adult group, Li Cunxiao, is a confirmed Great Grandmaster.”
“Mmm, the imperial family of Great Tang is indeed strong in this generation.”
Great Tang is currently the most powerful dynasty among the five. The current emperor of Great Tang is named Li Shimin.
“Yes, the imperial family of Great Tang is strong, and the Dao Seeking Sect is also strong. In the youth group, Sun Zifeng is at the peak of Innate, and in the adult group, Ding Linzhi is a Great Grandmaster. They are all very famous powerful figures.”
Yang Hong nodded. Great Tang with Li Shimin was indeed extraordinary, but he was also curious about the strength of other dynasties.
“They are very strong. What about the other dynasties?”
Yang Zixuan pondered for a moment and continued, “The imperial family of Great Zhou doesn’t have many strong individuals this time. In the junior and youth groups, there are no outstanding figures. Only Wu Sansi in the adult group, a Great Grandmaster, is worth mentioning.”
“However, Great Zhou’s Ci Hang Jing Zhai is extraordinary. Ji Qingyu in the junior group is Innate, Shi Feixuan in the youth group is at the peak of Innate, and Shi Qingxuan in the adult group is a Great Grandmaster. These three are famous female experts in the martial arts world.”
Yang Hong thought of the novels about Great Tang and frowned. These experts seemed to be out of place.
“The imperial family of Great Song is quite ordinary. Zhao Ze in the junior group is a first-rate expert, Zhao Mingkai in the youth group is Innate, and Zhao Mingkang in the adult group is at the peak of Innate.”
“Additionally, the True Martial Sect of Great Song has sent six disciples, which is also ordinary. They don’t have any Great Grandmaster experts. Perhaps they are unwilling to send their true experts.”
“Great Ming may have coordinated with Great Song. The experts they sent are the same as those from the imperial family of Great Song.”
“It’s just that Great Ming’s Five Mountains Sword Sect has sent more experts. They have sent nine disciples across the three groups. Among them, Linghu Chong in the youth group is already at the peak of Innate. It is said that he has not taken any pills to increase his internal energy and is the number one genius in the Five Dynasties.”
Yang Zixuan一口气 (yī kǒu qì) – in one breath – finished explaining the situation of Great Song and Great Ming.
Then she fell silent.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to speak.
It was because the last unspoken part was about her own Great Sui. But she was too embarrassed to say it.
In Great Sui, apart from Wanwan in the youth group, there were no other experts worth mentioning.
They were at the bottom of the Five Dynasties.